PM Modi slams Cong, Left parties, says they have no respect for EC or other institutions

THRISSUR: Taking a dig at senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal who attended a EVM 'hackathon' event in London earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that whoever goes to foreign soil to undermine the mandate of the people of India is answerable to the public.

Addressing a huge Yuva Morcha rally in Kerala, the Prime Minister said the Congress and the Left parties have no respect for institutions, including the Election Commission and that their talk about democracy was the "biggest joke".

"Be it Congress or communists, they have zero regard for any institution. For them every institution, the armed forces, police, CBI, the CAG, everybody is wrong, but they are right."

Referring to the recent hacker's press meet in London over the alleged hacking of EVMs in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he said, "The entire nation was amused to watch a press conference in London where India's democratic ethos was questioned. And who was spotted in the press conference? A top-most Congress leader."

"Is this your respect to our institutions and our democracy? Is this what our politics have come to right now? Whoever has gone to foreign soil to undermine the mandate of the people of India will have to answer to the people of India," Modi said.

Modi also referred to the political killings in Kerala and equated it with those in Maharashtra

"Congress and communists talking about democracy is the biggest joke. What is happening in some parts of Kerala.. political workers are killed just because their ideology is different from the communists," he said.

The Prime Minister this culture has now spread to Madhya Pradesh, where BJP workers were being attacked.

The Prime Minister, who was in Kerala for the second time this month, once again raked up the Sabarimala issue and alleged that the cultural ethos of the state was under attack from the ruling communist party in the state.

He said that the state government has been disrespecting all aspects of Kerala's culture.

"Unfortunately, today, the cultural ethos of Kerala is under attack. And this attack is being made by the party governing the state. The issue of the Sabarimala temple had caught the attention of the entire nation. The people of India are seeing the manner in which the communist government of Kerala are disrespecting all aspects of Kerala's culture The UDF too is just like the Communists," Modi said.

The Prime Minister also said that the opposition parties had only one agenda and that was to abuse him.

"All they (opposition) have is hatred towards Modi.

Their day begins with abusing Modi and ends with abusing Modi."

He said they could abuse him as much as they wanted, but should not 'mislead' farmers, put hurdles in creating opportunities for the youth, 'harm' the poor or put barriers in India's progress.

"Abuse me as much as you want but don't abuse our great nation," Modi said.

(With inputs from PTI)